Single Instance
by Pennatus
Summary: Eliwood x Hector. If loving another man is a sin against God, then you'll ensure he makes it to Heaven, ignoring the pain you'll feel as he progresses through life with you by his side but never in his heart.


…hmm. This is my first attempt at second person, and it's all right…I think?

I also think Eliwood sounds OOC, but I tried my hardest, I swear!

Please tell me how I did!!!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem and its awesomeness, and I make no profit from this. (Well, I'm not counting my fantasies there…)

(In case you were wondering, it's from Eliwood's POV.)

-=-

You've been hanging out with him a lot more.

Not that there's anything wrong with that – he _is_ your childhood friend. But lately your excuses have grown weaker and your visits more often. Luckily for you, he doesn't seem to mind, chalking it up to work or stress or some other thing that you are eternally grateful towards.

Because, you've finally figured out, when you're "hanging out" you're the closest to him you'll ever be.

It hurts, sometimes, to know these little get-togethers are all the two of you are ever going to share. He would never figure out what you're feeling; he's much too brash, too push-his-way-though-the-problem to realize the subtle clues and hints you've been accidentally dropping. And you're too noble, too polite, to ever force your feelings on your best friend when it's so obvious "friends" is all he ever wants you to be.

Did that make you a fool? Yes, definitely. You used to dismiss love stories and romance novels as pointless fluff; comforting to read, of course, but if two people loved each other that much why didn't they simply say something? Now you understand what held those people back, what caused their tears and sleepless nights.

Couldn't he see how much you ached? When you caught his gaze your heart fled; when you laughed with him your throat constricted; when you touched him, fleeting brushes, you burned, the contact painful and intense. It was agony to be near him, it was agony to be apart from him.

Such a life you never asked for, and yet you received it. Maybe this is entirely your fault. It's your own feelings you're avoiding. But you could blame it all on him as well. Him, for being so sure and confident, for always being there whenever you needed him (and sometimes when you didn't), for being so unique and stirring these feelings you never knew lived inside of you. For existing so close to you and just…being himself.

Yet in the end, there really isn't any point in blaming anyone, you or him. You fell in love; he didn't. That was all. Whether it was the gods dishing out a cruel fate to you or your own inability to control your emotions – it didn't matter. It had happened, against your wishes, and you suspected the conflict would never end.

It was quite pathetic, really. Afraid of your best friend, yet addicted to him. Fearful of what you'll do when you're around him, craving his presence, telling yourself you shouldn't be so weak as to seek out his company but wanting, no, _knowing_ you _are_ that weak, and that every moment stolen with him was going to be locked away in your memory forever.

How long will this reality continue? You don't know and you're not sure if you want to know. You aren't content to simply bask in his presence, but you can't seem to come up with a suitable alternative to this frustrating situation. Short of abandoning him completely (which you would never do), it appears you will be stuck like this forever.

Confess your love? The very act seems unimaginable. Well, that's not exactly true. You can imagine it well enough – your halting words and confession, and his expression, confused and disgusted…

Ah, but you've had this argument with yourself a thousand times now. If loving another man is a sin against God, then you'll ensure he makes it to Heaven, ignoring the pain you'll feel as he progresses through life with you by his side but never in his heart. His life will go on, and so will yours, inevitably.

Quietly, you force these thoughts and feelings back into the corner of your soul and smile as he walks up to you, his blue hair rustling in the wind. It does not matter how long this torment will continue, does it? No…for now, there is only him and you in this single instant. And all is right with the world.


End file.
